The Hollow
by bobkat2007
Summary: Harry returns home after the wedding. He's followed shortly after by his friends. They then set off in search of the next Horcrux. CH 2 UP!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Well, here I am. This is a very clichéd story line. Well, it wouldn't have been had I published it before HBP came out, but that's beside the point. This story won't be nearly as long as Chaos. Probly just a few chapters. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing HP descriptive. Everything vague is mine.

**Chapter One**

If it had been Petunia Dursley who had opened the door, she would have run screaming. As it was, it was not Mrs. Dursley who opened the door, but a young man with untidy black hair (that just happened to look like that of the previous owner) and sparkling emerald eyes (which curiously enough, were the same as the wife of the aforementioned "previous owner"). He looked to be in his late teens, about 17. The boy was laden with bags, though he kept one hand free of them, grasping in it only his wand.

Harry Potter walked into his parents' house and dropped his bags, lighting his wand as he did so. He started moving through the rooms, looking into each one. There was a room at the end of the hall that he felt drawn to. As soon as he entered, he understood why. It was his room.

Or it had been his room. He stood there for a while, just looking and thinking. He didn't know how long he had stood there when he heard it. He heard three loud cracks, followed by three whispering voices. He couldn't make what they were saying. So. Putting out his wand with a mumbled, "Nox". Harry crept silently down the hall to the foyer where he figured the voices were coming from.

"Where is he?" a girl's voice whispered.

"Maybe we beat him here." That voice had been male.

"No," said a third voice, female again, but different from the first. "His bags are here. He's probably looking around."

He recognized that last voice, as the girl hadn't whispered. It was Hermione. And he would bet his Firebolt that the other two voices belonged to Ginny and Ron. Harry sighed and walked out towards the three. It wasn't that he didn't want them there, he did. He had just thought that he would get a little alone time in his parents' house first.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked them tiredly, already knowing the answer.

Ginny chuckled, "Well, since I already know you expected us to follow, I'll just answer the underlying question. We set a ward around your room so that we would know when you left. You can't get rid of us _that_ easily, Harry."

Harry smiled and pulled his girlfriend into a hug. As much as he had tried to convince Ginny (and himself) that it would be too dangerous for them to continue seeing each other, she countered every one of his arguments (with the same ones he had been trying to quash down inside his own head). In the end, he had stopped fighting the glaringly obvious. It was clear to everyone that they still care about each other, and that obviousness made her a target no matter what.

"We tried to give you a little time before we followed, but we didn't want to give you enough to leave here without us," Ginny explained, pulling back a little to look into Harry's face. "If you had, we wouldn't have known where you went and then we would have had to waste a lot of time looking for you."

Harry laughed and swept his hair out of his face. He looked around the room. It was barren but for a table that had a layer of dust a couple inches thick. "Are you guys tired?"

"Not really," Ginny answered immediately.

"I can manage a little while longer," Ron shrugged.

"I'm okay," came the last reply from Hermione.

"Want to help me make this place a little more inhabitable? I don't want to sleep on dust."

"Sure."

The four set about the few rooms. Ron and Hermione working in the main rooms while Harry and Ginny did the bedrooms and bathroom. Ginny went ahead into the master bedroom and waved her wand. The dust disappeared. Another wave and a bed appeared between the two side tables. A flick and two lamps appeared, already turned on. A stab and the bed was made with crimson sheets and a midnight comforter. She smiled at her handiwork. Looking to the walls as she turned, she caught sight of a few picture frames. She walked over to them. They were covered in dust and the pictures were no longer visible. Reaching a hand up, she wiped the surfaces.

"Harry?" Ginny walked out of the room still staring at the picture in her hand. She had known as soon as she saw it Harry would treasure it. She looked up as she entered the other room. Not seeing Harry at first she turned to go, then she saw him, sitting in the corner with his knees drawn up, staring into space.

She walked over to him, quietly so as not to disturb him. He didn't seem to notice her. She knelt down in front of him and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just being back here," he answered. He pulled his arms back from his knees and allowed his legs to fall. Ginny moved to sit beside him. "I'm starting to remember some of my life here. Not that there is much to remember. But I'm seeing snippets. Like my mum smiling or my dad laughing. The only clear memory I have is obscured by the curse," he laughed dryly. "Even that, Voldemort had to ruin."

Ginny desperately wanted him to remember happier times. She remembered the picture clutched in her hands. "I found something I know you're going to love."

He looked at her as she handed him the frame. "Where on earth did you find this?"

"In your parents' room. This is just one. There are a bunch."

Her heart lifted as she saw his smile. She leaned against him as he put his arm around her and together they looked at the picture.



"Oy! Hermione! Don't do that!"

Hermione laughed again as she shook the dusty sheet. Ron's red hair was now grey from all the dust they had stirred up. "Not doing nothing!" she cackled, in a way so remarkably similar to Peeves that Ron just looked at her for a moment before cracking up.

"You do realize that you sounded just like Peeves, right?"

"That's what I was going for!"

The chuckled slightly as they went back to work. The kitchen had been easy, just a wave of the wand to get rid of the dust. The living room was another matter. The dust was easy, but they also had to clean the windows and conjure a few things. Among the conjured objects were a couch, two chairs, a new coffee table, drapes for the windows, a TV and stereo system (entirely Hermione's idea) and a mini Quidditch pitch. Surveying their handiwork, Hermione noticed one thing missing. She gave her wand a swish and pictures appeared on the wall.

One was of Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was a collage of pictures of just the three of them from the past six years of school. Another was of the Weasley family and Harry, an honorary Weasley. A third was of Harry and Ginny. One of Sirius and Harry. A fifth of the Marauders, minus Peter, who seemed to have walked out. Occasionally, James or Sirius would flip a bird at someone out of the frame and yell something. The last one, on top of the TV was of Dumbledore.

The two slumped back on the couch and yelled, "HARRY! GINNY! WE'RE DONE!"

Harry and Ginny got up and left his old room. They walked hand in hand to find Hermione and Ron laying back on a new dark blue couch watching TV. It looked much like a muggle living room except for the Quidditch pitch and the moving pictures. Harry walked around looking at the pictures and Ginny pointed at the one of the two of them, "I like this one the best." They all laughed.

Harry walked over to a bare spot opposite the door. He looked down at the picture in his hands. Smiling he hung the picture for a final touch.

A/N: Well, there it is. Can anyone guess who the picture is of? I love reviews, especially those with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. If you didn't like it-keep it to yourself. If you've got a suggestion-GIMME! 

Luv ya!

Kat


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm starting to remember why I didn't want to post The Hollow until after I had finished Chaos. I keep wanting to finish the chapter of Chaos, but then I read some of the reviews for this and was like, "Gah!" Oh well, glad you all liked it. I'm sorry it's been taking me a really long time to update because of school and such. Well, here ya go. And I'm sad to say, that as close as some of the guesses about the picture were, none were exactly right.

**DISCLAIMER:** Just the plot is mine; everything else belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling.

Previously 

Harry walked over to a bare spot opposite the door. He looked down at the picture in his hands. Smiling he hung the picture for a final touch.

Chapter Two 

"Would you four _please_ just be still for about two seconds? Well, at least the three of you?"

The three men smiled and laughed at the woman holding the camera. They all stopped moving and looked at the camera with serious faces. Then a sound came from below their faces and they fought to keep straight faces, and lost the battle, bursting out laughing.

Looking down, they all saw bright, sparkling green eyes and an open, toothless mouth that was emitting a joyous giggle.

"Oh, I give up," the woman exclaimed, snapping a picture. When she lowered the camera, eyes matching that of the baby's in the men's arms were revealed. "You three are impossible," she said, walking over to her husband and his friends. She took her laughing son in her arms and looked up at the owner of the hand still on his head.

"Looks just like you, Prongs."

"Except for the eyes," Lupin commented, "He's got Lil's eyes."

"Well, between the two of us, we're going to have a heartbreaker for a son," James commented to his wife, finally removing his hand.

"What on earth do you mean 'going to'? We already do."

"Hey, look, its done," Sirius said, going over to the table Lily had put the camera down upon, picking up the picture. The other three converged upon him. Lily, picking up the frame next to the camera, took the picture out of Sirius's fingers and slid it into the frame. She hung it on the side of the cabinet that was facing the door. The three males gathered around it. "You know, that is a really rather remarkable picture of me," Sirius commented looking at the picture.

"Padfoot, you think any picture that shows at least your little finger is a "really remarkable picture" of you," laughed James.

"He's got a point though," Lupin stated. "It's one of the rare pictures where we all look good. Plus it's the only one we've got with Harry."

"That's what I was thinking," Sirius said. "How many copies am I conjuring?"

There was one copy in Sirius's flat, it was the one picture he had of the infant Harry. He had it framed and hanging in his hall. Lupin kept his copy in his trunk, with all his other valuables. He didn't want them to risk getting torn apart because of his transformations. James and Lily both kept copies in their offices as well as the one in the entrance.

Just as Lily, James, Sirius and Lupin had gathered around the picture at it's initial hanging, there were four gathered around it now as well. Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron stood in front of the picture looking at it. All of them had smiles on their faces as they looked at the baby Harry.

"You were so cute Harry," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ron added. "What happened?"

"Oh very funny," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

Harry yawned and retreated to the couch. Flopping onto the couch and closing his eyes, he soon felt Ginny sit next to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and pillowing her head on her chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist and looked down to see her gazing up at his face.

"How are you?" she asked.

Harry sighed and thought a moment before answering. "I'm okay," he said honestly.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Granted, it is a little weird being here. I barely remember this place. And what I do remember isn't the "good ol' days". But I am glad you're here," he answered, smiling down at her. She smiled back and leaned up and kissed him.

"Hey! Get a room!" Hermione protested.

The two broke apart and Harry smirked, "We are in a room. And I believe these are all my rooms anyway. But if you don't like it, there's the door."

Hermione was indignant, "I didn't mean it!"

Harry laughed, "Calm down, Hermione. I was just joking."

She blushed and Ron commented, "You're kinda gullible, you know that?"

Hermione smacked his arm. "Shut it you."

Ginny, Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes as Ron held his arm, "Hermione! That hurt!"

"Well, when you're done whining, Ron…" Harry said, "How do you guys want to do sleeping arrangements? I'll be sleeping in the main bedroom. There are two other bedrooms and the couch. So, if you guys each want your own bed you can do that."

"Hermione and I can share a room for our stuff, and I can just sleep on the couch. That way Ron can keep all his nasty crap in a containment cell." Harry and Hermione laughed while Ron glowered at his sister.

Ron was about to open his mouth when Hermione spoke, "Are you sure you're fine sleeping on the couch?"

"Yeah," Ginny shrugged. "It's pretty comfy."

"Alright," Harry said, cutting Ron off yet again. "It's a pla-ann," he said, yawning on the last word. And, as everyone is aware, yawning is contagious, so soon, the other three were yawning too.

They all bid each other good night and headed to their separate rooms. Hermione and Ginny pulled their bags into the room they were to share while Ron took his things into his. None of three had pushed Harry about why he had said there were only two rooms available. They had all figured before hand that Harry would want to keep his old room empty.

As Harry changed into his pajamas he thought about that and was glad that they hadn't asked. He chuckled slightly as he thought about the likelihood of Hermione telling him not to mention it. Still smiling, Harry slipped into bed and settled back into pillows and quickly fell asleep.

There was a flash of green light, a woman screaming, a bright light of a different color, a man's face, startled, as he fell through a veil, an old man, thrown over a wall by a bright green light. Harry woke in a cold sweat. The dreams had been haunting him since Dumbledore's death. On the nights that he did dream, it was either that of his dead protectors and family or of the night Dumbledore died. Sometimes, if he was really unlucky, he would have a combination of both.

Tonight, however, it wasn't his nightmares that had woken him up. Well, they had, but not on their own. He looked at his right arm, there lay a hand smaller than his own with nails longer than his own. His eyes followed the fingers up the hand to the wrist, up the arm to the shoulder and from there to the familiar face, which was full of concern.

"Harry? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he answered, running a hand through his hair as he sat up. "Just…nightmares."

Ginny nodded and hugged him. She looked up at him from his arms. "The ones about your parents and Sirius? Dumbledore?" she asked, quietly.

He looked down at her, "Yeah, the same ones. It's all I ever dream about anymore."

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry felt her arms tighten around him a little and he smiled down at her, "It's okay, I've gotten kinda used to it, but it still shakes me." He had been enjoying talking to Ginny so much that he hadn't thought to ask why she was there. He looked at her, a curious look on his face, "Hey, Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you're in here?"

"I heard you."

"What?"

"You were moaning in your sleep. Your door wasn't quite closed, so I could hear you out on the couch. That and I couldn't sleep," she shrugged and Harry noticed she shivered as she sat up a little.

"Oh, Gin, sorry, here, have a blanket," he said, lifting the covers, allowing her to slide in. Ginny did so, grateful for the warmth. They talked for a little longer, about Harry's nightmares and Bill and Fleur's wedding. They mentioned Fred and George and laughed, rather loudly, before starting to go into detail of their antics.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Ron exploded from the doorway.

**A/N:** Well, there it is. It's going to be awhile before I update this one. And it will be a little bit before I update Chaos. I won't have Internet access for a few days. Well, hope you liked it. Let me know!

Kat


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